I've avoided talking about the Trump administration over the past few months, because frankly it's all been difficult to process, and even harder to react to intelligently in the context of this blog. I've taken pains over the years to avoid being political here, limiting any overtly political commentary to only the most extraordinary events. However, what's been going on in Washington has been extraordinary by any definition, and the news media has become a never-ending deluge of alarming headlines, day in and day out. It's having an impact on everything and everyone, and to ignore that completely would be disingenuous of me.
So, let's talk about late night comedy, which has been utterly transformed these past few months. Stephen Colbert's "Late Show" has become a ratings champ, and Samantha Bee and "The Daily Show" have also gotten big audience boosts lately. It makes me feel less guilty for having essentially abandoned late night viewing completely. I still watch the occasional Colbert Youtube clip, and good for CBS for making those monologues so immediately accessible, but I couldn't bring myself to keep watching "THe Daily Show" after Trump's inauguration. The additional twenty minutes of doom and gloom every night was just too much after reading the horrific headlines all day. Sorry, Trevor. I stuck it out as long as I could. Your "TIME" cover looks fab though.
Still, it's great to see the nation's most prominent comedians taking such an active stand against this administration's absurd behavior. Seth Meyers on "The Late Late Show" has become a reliable source of critical commentary. Jon Stewart resurfaces occasionally on Colbert to put in his two cents, most recently after the White House started antagonizing the non-right wing news media. John Oliver shows no signs of slowing down. And it's really heartening that "Saturday Night Live" has suddenly become true "must-see" viewing again. Many of my Sunday mornings have included catching up on the best sketches from the previous night. Alec Baldwin's Trump has been fun, but Melissa McCarthy's appearance as hostile press secretary Sean Spicer was instantly iconic, and more importantly it really seems to have gotten under Trump's skin.
The rest of the U.S. entertainment industry has also been comfortingly anti-Trump. Some found the awards season grandstanding distasteful, but I was grateful for the celebrity outrage, helping to confirm that I wasn't going crazy and there was ample cause for alarm. Highlights included Meryl Streep calling out the Muslim ban at the Golden Globes, Patrick Stewart pledging to become an American, famous faces showing up at several of the women's marches, and even Samuel L. Jackson taking Ben Carson to task for referring to African slaves as immigrants recently. I've bemoaned the outsized importance that Twitter suddenly has on U.S. politics, but it's a two-way street. Whatever insane missives that Trump and company want to volley via tweet can be lobbed right back at them almost instantly.
As the Trump controversies have continued to pile up, and the U.S. political system continues to be stress tested, I've actually started feeling a little better. A part of me is still wondering when I'm going to wake up, but the rest of me has largely gotten over the nasty shock, and it's clear what my goal for the next four years is going to be: fight. Fight back against the intolerance, the hatred, the greed, and the fear that the Trump administration has spent far too much time encouraging. Fight back against the complacency, the cowardice, and the weakness of those who are trying to appease them. Fight against my own urges to be quiet, keep my head low, and wait for the storm to blow over.
Don't worry. This will remain a media blog, and I'll maintain my policy of only writing about politics when it's relevant to media. However, I'm through with trying to appear non-partisan or pretending that everything is okay. I am not okay, and my country is not okay. It's time to engage and start getting involved in the discussion. And I guarantee that the larger media is going to start reflecting this soon, not just on late night and the cable news.
And I have no doubt that I'll be a "Daily Show" viewer again eventually. I never could stay away for very long.
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Saturday, April 1, 2017
Sunday, March 26, 2017
April's TV Tsunami
Have you heard? Have you heard? April this year is going to see the premieres of countless high profile prestige television shows. In addition to the return of "Better Call Saul," "Veep," The Leftovers," "Silicon Valley," "Fargo," and "Doctor Who," we'll also get our first look at "American Gods," "The Handmaid's Tale," "The Son," and the "Prison Break" update Meanwhile, new seasons of "The Americans" and "The Expanse" are in full swing. And two of the usual major event series are missing this year - "Game of Thrones" and "Orphan Black," which have been pushed back to summer.
As many news outlets have pointed out, the end of May is a cutoff date for Emmy eligibility, so television has developed its own prestige season, similar to the one that the movies have in November and December. Good television premieres all year round now, especially on the streaming services, but there's a noticeable uptick in the good stuff during the spring and summer months, and I'm definitely anticipating at least half a dozen of this year's April premieres. It's fascinating how the traditional schedule of television shows premiering in the fall and ending in the spring has become so inverted now, with the shorter seasons and so many new alternatives to network television.
And the best part of this is, since I don't write this blog for a living and have no obligation to be particularly current with the content, I don't have to watch all of these new episodes at the same time. I don't have access to the shows on premium cable at the moment anyway, because of my current subscriptions (Next round of HBO Now will be after the next season of "Game of Thrones" is finished). Sure, dodging the spoilers is going to be some work, but I have a ton of other shows from last year that I'm still working on, and my current priority is with cutting that massive list of '70s movies for my Top Ten project down to size. Technically I still have a few shows that I consider appointment television, because I'm watching them with other people, but in most cases things can wait. Years, in some cases.
Right now I'm seriously weighing whether I want to continue with the second seasons of "Mr. Robot," "Humans," and "The Expanse." And if I want to start "The Crown," "The Affair," or "Horace and Pete." Limited series like "The People vs. OJ Simpson," "Big Little Lies," and "The Night Of" are more tempting because they aren't open-ended and won't require as much commitment. Then again, I've been meaning to start "The West Wing" and "Parks & Rec" for ages. Or should I go back and pick up "Downton Abbey" or "House of Cards" or another series that I dropped? Surely I should at least finish out a full season of each, right? There are also a couple of cases where I'm waiting for current seasons to finish to see if they live up to highly touted premieres - the new Noah Hawley show "Legion," for instance. Even if all these new episodes weren't premiering in April, I have no shortage of things to watch.
And the bar just keeps getting higher and higher for new shows. If a series doesn't get good buzz and good reviews, I tend to overlook it. Unless they get an unusual amount of attention, I ignore most soaps, procedurals, and comedies nowadays. If a series doesn't hook me within a few episodes, I tend to put it aside for later, until I forget about it and move on to something else. I can't count the number of Netflix or Hulu or pay cable shows I've decided to put off because I didn't have an active subscription for the particular month it premiered, and then never got around to them. I meant to watch "Marco Polo," really I did.
Part of me wonders how long the deluge of content can last. Every time I think we've hit peak TV, suddenly there's some new must-see series, another web service or independent content creator joining the fray, and another beloved movie actor or director has made the leap to the small screen. There's no way to keep up anymore, and I've pretty much just accepted it.
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As many news outlets have pointed out, the end of May is a cutoff date for Emmy eligibility, so television has developed its own prestige season, similar to the one that the movies have in November and December. Good television premieres all year round now, especially on the streaming services, but there's a noticeable uptick in the good stuff during the spring and summer months, and I'm definitely anticipating at least half a dozen of this year's April premieres. It's fascinating how the traditional schedule of television shows premiering in the fall and ending in the spring has become so inverted now, with the shorter seasons and so many new alternatives to network television.
And the best part of this is, since I don't write this blog for a living and have no obligation to be particularly current with the content, I don't have to watch all of these new episodes at the same time. I don't have access to the shows on premium cable at the moment anyway, because of my current subscriptions (Next round of HBO Now will be after the next season of "Game of Thrones" is finished). Sure, dodging the spoilers is going to be some work, but I have a ton of other shows from last year that I'm still working on, and my current priority is with cutting that massive list of '70s movies for my Top Ten project down to size. Technically I still have a few shows that I consider appointment television, because I'm watching them with other people, but in most cases things can wait. Years, in some cases.
Right now I'm seriously weighing whether I want to continue with the second seasons of "Mr. Robot," "Humans," and "The Expanse." And if I want to start "The Crown," "The Affair," or "Horace and Pete." Limited series like "The People vs. OJ Simpson," "Big Little Lies," and "The Night Of" are more tempting because they aren't open-ended and won't require as much commitment. Then again, I've been meaning to start "The West Wing" and "Parks & Rec" for ages. Or should I go back and pick up "Downton Abbey" or "House of Cards" or another series that I dropped? Surely I should at least finish out a full season of each, right? There are also a couple of cases where I'm waiting for current seasons to finish to see if they live up to highly touted premieres - the new Noah Hawley show "Legion," for instance. Even if all these new episodes weren't premiering in April, I have no shortage of things to watch.
And the bar just keeps getting higher and higher for new shows. If a series doesn't get good buzz and good reviews, I tend to overlook it. Unless they get an unusual amount of attention, I ignore most soaps, procedurals, and comedies nowadays. If a series doesn't hook me within a few episodes, I tend to put it aside for later, until I forget about it and move on to something else. I can't count the number of Netflix or Hulu or pay cable shows I've decided to put off because I didn't have an active subscription for the particular month it premiered, and then never got around to them. I meant to watch "Marco Polo," really I did.
Part of me wonders how long the deluge of content can last. Every time I think we've hit peak TV, suddenly there's some new must-see series, another web service or independent content creator joining the fray, and another beloved movie actor or director has made the leap to the small screen. There's no way to keep up anymore, and I've pretty much just accepted it.
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Friday, March 24, 2017
My Top Ten "Dollhouse" Episodes
Joss Whedon's 2009 science-fiction series doesn't get enough credit. The first season made some major missteps, but the ship righted itself eventually, and went on to tell the stories of so many characters that I absolutely adore. As always, episodes are unranked, and listed below by airdate. Major spoilers ahead, because it's impossible to talk about some of the later episodes without them. And here we go.
"Ghost" - This was a notorious reworked pilot, meant to allow for an easier audience entry into the world of "Dollhouse" after the network rejected the original, darker premiere While there's probably too much emphasis on Echo's imprint of the week, a hostage negotiator, this episode does start making some important introductions to the primary characters and get the ball rolling on various storylines. I immediately latched on to Boyd, and was always a little disappointed that he never got more to do.
"Man on the Street" - Many fans maintain that "Dollhouse" didn't really get going until its sixth episode, when the major storylines finaly started to move forward and we got some important character development. Most importantly, we finally learn the truth about Mellie, Sierra and Victor's relationship runs into trouble, and Paul gets thrown for a loop. This is also the episode that guest-starred Patton Oswalt as a man who uses an Active to spend time with his deceased wife, which is awfully poignant in retrospect.
"Omega" - The first season closes with some revelations about Dr. Saunders and Echo's past, and a big change in status for Paul. I really love Alan Tudyk's performance as the fractured Alpha, who fulfills his rolle as Frankenstein's monster analog and the first season's Big Bad wonderfully. The other standout here is Amy Acker as Dr. Saunders and Whiskey, who finally got to show what she was capable of after sitting on the sidelines for far too long. Really, this show had too many actors with too little screen time.
"Epitaph One" - The episode that never aired on American television, and wouldn't have existed at all except for contractual obligations. And yet, this dystopian vision of the "Dollhouse" universe ten years into the future it is my favorite by far, the episode that finally got me totally invested in the series and many of the characters. Most of the regular cast members are barely in this, but get some of their best moments, especially Adelle, Whiskey, and Topher - finally a male version of the Whedon mad prophet character.
"Belle Chose" - Okay, i admit this episode is on the list almost totally because of Enver Gjokaj's performance as Kiki. The serial killer story is suitably creepy, especially the business with the poor mannequin women, and I like Ballard's continued adjustment to life in the Dollhouse. Gjokaj is great as an evil bastard, but it's his unfettered silliness playing Kiki in the middle of a pretty intense thriller story that gets me every time. The show didn't have as much humor as I'd have liked, but it certainly had its moments.
"Belonging" - A fantastic hour that looks into the events that lead to Sierra becoming an Active, with Topher forced to confront his worst suspicions about his role in the operation. This is also one of the better Boyd episodes, as he helps Topher to take responsibility and contain the fallout. The performances are great, the direction's great, and overall the episode does a fantastic job of pushing the whole series toward darker, more psychologically fraught territory. You can see the moment Topher starts to crack.
"The Left Hand" - There is so much good stuff to enjoy here. There's Summer Glau's Bennett sparking an adorable geek romance with Topher, there's the conclusion of the Senator Perrin storyline, and then there's the birth of Victopher, the show's best comic relief. It was clear from this run of episodes that there were seasons worth of stories being stuffed into smaller stretches, as Whedon and company tried to cover as much material as possible before the show was cancelled. Sometimes it didn't work, but here it did.
"Meet Jane Doe" - Olivia Williams' Adelle became one of my favorite characters in the second season, and especially her motherly relationship with Topher. This is one of her best episodes, trying to claw her way back on top after being demoted, and willing to take enormous risks to do it. Meanwhile, Echo and Paul become much more interesting characters after the timeskip, training up to cause more trouble. And this is great, because the two of them were frequently my least favorite part of the show.
"Getting Closer" - As the endgame comes into focus, we have our last big set of reveals and surprises. There's a lot going on here, including reunions, goodbyes, and flashbacks galore. I love all the little character moments that are packed in here, from Victor and Sierra getting their chance to be together, to Topher and Ivy's emotional split. Even Dominic gets his due. Also, while the next episode severely let me down in regards to a particular character, I loved the episode's final twist the first time I saw it.
"Epitaph Two: Return" - It's not a perfect goodbye, but to date it's still my favorite ending to a Joss Whedon show. There's such a wonderful finality to the fates of Echo, Paul, Topher, and all the rest. While I wish that "Dollhouse" had gone on longer than two seasons, this was the right place for it to end.
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Wednesday, March 22, 2017
The Star Wars Fan Speculation Post, 2017
It's been a while since I've indulged myself by geeking out over "Star Wars," currently one of the few major film franchises that I retain many geeky feelings for. So I'm going to get some things out of my system with this post, throwing out theories, ideas, hopes, and wild speculation about what might happen in "Episode VIII" and "Episode IX." Spoilers ahead for everything in the series so far.
While it would be nice if Rey didn't turn out to be related to anyone special, or who we've already met, setting up her origins as a mystery the way the filmmakers have suggests otherwise. So if I had to pick, I'd pick Emperor Palpatine as her father or grandfather, who had to secret away the existence of an heir. It would make for a nice parallel to Kylo Ren, who was supposed to be the successor of the champions of the Light Side of the Force but turned dark, and echo Luke Skywalker's reckoning with being the son of Vader. Ian McDiarmid's portrayal of Palpatine was also my favorite part of the prequels, so getting him back into the mix in some capacity would be great. Speaking of Kylo Ren, I'm looking forward to his continuing training, set in counterpoint to Rey's being a big part of the next film.
Now, one big element of the original "Star Wars" films that I haven't seen brought back so far is the romance. I don't want Rey to end up in a love triangle with Finn and Poe Dameron, but I would like to see some sort of love story in these movies. It would make the most sense to center one around Finn, who is striking out on his own and learning to be an individual with his own wants and needs. While Rey is off training with Luke, he should be off having his own adventures, maybe with Poe, maybe with whoever Kelly Marie Tran is playing. Of course, this assumes that "Episode VIII" is going to have the same structure as "Empire Strikes Back," when it easily might not. We don't really need to see all the Jedi training again, so wouldn't be surprised if the story skips a good chuck of it, and reunites Rey with her friends quicker.
If Rey is going to be a romantic lead, I could see her being tempted by Kylo Ren, who will probably be ordered as part of his training to either defeat or seduce her, and that might lead to him being brought back to the Light Side by her good influence. Of course, there are some tricky implications to doing that kind of story, but handled right it could be a really fun watch. I'm sure that Kylo Ren and Luke's explanations of what happened in the past won't be the same. There's probably a big lie or a big trauma in there somewhere. And of course Kylo Ren is going to kill, or at least severely incapacitate Luke Skywalker. It's part of the formula to remove all of your hero's support systems before the finale. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the end of "Episode VIII."
Still, as interested as I am in what happened to the Solo and Skywalker families before "The Force Awakens," I hope it's only a very small part of the films going forward. As much as I enjoy Mark Hamill, the last thing I want is for the regrets of Old Man Skywalker to end up overshadowing Rey or Kylo Ren's stories. "Star Wars" is not "The Karate Kid," and Luke Skywalker should have exactly as much narrative emphasis as Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi did, no more. And here's hoping that they don't bring back Lando or Wedge or Lobot or whoever else might be in line for a cameo. I'm hoping that the filmmakers got the majority of the nostalgia out of their systems with "The Force Awakens" and "Rogue One" so that the series can start really moving forward.
And finally, a few miscellaneous things. Yes to more droids, more Chewbacca, and more alien creatures. Yes, to more different planets. Yes to new villains. However, I hope that they do something more interesting with Snoke and Phasma. And I hope that we get some new ships to love as much as we all love the Falcon. I was always a sucker for the ships.
---
While it would be nice if Rey didn't turn out to be related to anyone special, or who we've already met, setting up her origins as a mystery the way the filmmakers have suggests otherwise. So if I had to pick, I'd pick Emperor Palpatine as her father or grandfather, who had to secret away the existence of an heir. It would make for a nice parallel to Kylo Ren, who was supposed to be the successor of the champions of the Light Side of the Force but turned dark, and echo Luke Skywalker's reckoning with being the son of Vader. Ian McDiarmid's portrayal of Palpatine was also my favorite part of the prequels, so getting him back into the mix in some capacity would be great. Speaking of Kylo Ren, I'm looking forward to his continuing training, set in counterpoint to Rey's being a big part of the next film.
Now, one big element of the original "Star Wars" films that I haven't seen brought back so far is the romance. I don't want Rey to end up in a love triangle with Finn and Poe Dameron, but I would like to see some sort of love story in these movies. It would make the most sense to center one around Finn, who is striking out on his own and learning to be an individual with his own wants and needs. While Rey is off training with Luke, he should be off having his own adventures, maybe with Poe, maybe with whoever Kelly Marie Tran is playing. Of course, this assumes that "Episode VIII" is going to have the same structure as "Empire Strikes Back," when it easily might not. We don't really need to see all the Jedi training again, so wouldn't be surprised if the story skips a good chuck of it, and reunites Rey with her friends quicker.
If Rey is going to be a romantic lead, I could see her being tempted by Kylo Ren, who will probably be ordered as part of his training to either defeat or seduce her, and that might lead to him being brought back to the Light Side by her good influence. Of course, there are some tricky implications to doing that kind of story, but handled right it could be a really fun watch. I'm sure that Kylo Ren and Luke's explanations of what happened in the past won't be the same. There's probably a big lie or a big trauma in there somewhere. And of course Kylo Ren is going to kill, or at least severely incapacitate Luke Skywalker. It's part of the formula to remove all of your hero's support systems before the finale. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the end of "Episode VIII."
Still, as interested as I am in what happened to the Solo and Skywalker families before "The Force Awakens," I hope it's only a very small part of the films going forward. As much as I enjoy Mark Hamill, the last thing I want is for the regrets of Old Man Skywalker to end up overshadowing Rey or Kylo Ren's stories. "Star Wars" is not "The Karate Kid," and Luke Skywalker should have exactly as much narrative emphasis as Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi did, no more. And here's hoping that they don't bring back Lando or Wedge or Lobot or whoever else might be in line for a cameo. I'm hoping that the filmmakers got the majority of the nostalgia out of their systems with "The Force Awakens" and "Rogue One" so that the series can start really moving forward.
And finally, a few miscellaneous things. Yes to more droids, more Chewbacca, and more alien creatures. Yes, to more different planets. Yes to new villains. However, I hope that they do something more interesting with Snoke and Phasma. And I hope that we get some new ships to love as much as we all love the Falcon. I was always a sucker for the ships.
---
Monday, March 20, 2017
"American Honey" is Golden
We first meet eighteen year-old Star (Sasha Lane) in rural Oklahoma, dumpster diving at a run-down K-mart, with a pair of small children in tow. Later, we learn that the children are not related to her, though she looks after them, and her home life is a miserable, untenable situation. It's time for Star to leave. So she falls in with a band of itinerant youngsters who travel by van throughout the American Midwest, hawking overpriced magazine subscriptions for their team leader Krystal (Riley Keough). Star is initially recruited by Jake (Shia LaBeouf), who flirts with her and trains her in the art of conning and grifting her way to success.
"American Honey" is the first film from Andrea Arnold set outside the UK, and it retains all the raw style and lyrical realism of her prior films. You won't find many beauty shots of the landscape, but there are plenty of intimate moments in overcrowded vans, evocative glimpses of life on the road, and a transcendant sing-along or two. The cast is a strong mix of professional actors and non-professionals. Arnold reportedly cast newcomer Sasha Lane after running across her on a vacation, and other members of the magazine crew were found in parking lots and construction sites. Together, they form an eclectic, lively band of outcasts and misfits, always causing some kind of commotion, always living on the brink. They spontaneously start dancing in the K-mart where Star first sees them, and the ending revolves around a celebratory bonfire that the kids take turns dancing and leaping over. It's easy to see what draws Star into their circle.
And through Star's journey with the crew, Arnold explores the American landscape like so many of the great foreign filmmkers before her. Despite our heroine revealing very little about her background, we learn plenty about Star as she grapples with new circumstances and new choices. She resists lying to people or tricking them into sales. She's very good at getting herself out of bad situations, and proves scrappy enough to survive on her own. However, she isn't quite worldly enough to understand that having a connection with Jake doesn't mean she's not also one of his marks. Sasha Lane wordlessly conveys so much, giving Star a lot of charisma and raw intelligence. She's also, notably, one of the only cast members of color in a sea of white faces. This is also my favorite performance from Shia LaBeouf, whose recent bounts of oddity mesh perfectly with the tone of "American Honey," where to be odd and out of place may be synonymous with being free.
Really, though, it's America that is the star of the film, specifically all the depressed, abjectly poor, yet hopeful parts of it that rarely find their way to the big screen. Though nature occasionally makes itself known, the film spends the bulk of its time in motels, parking lots, and run-down apartments. I'm tempted to liken Arnold's work here to Harmony Korine's earlier grotesqueries, but Arnold's work is more celebratory, more sympathetic and humane. She lets Star call out the hypocrisy of a wealthy suburbanite, enjoy the comaraderie of her fellow fringe-dwellers, and have her moments of triumph and joy. Star has real agency over her life, which is vital. And while some have complained of the film's two-and-a-half hour length, I enjoyed all of Star's various misadventures, and the chance to really become immersed in her world. If the film is overlong, at least it's ambitious and entertaining all the way through.
There's a strong temptation to want to read political messages into the film, which is essentially about a group of forgotten, con-artist kids with no safety net and no prospects trying to find their way in crumbling middle America. However, the film is more interested in conveying an experience than a message, and tends to treat the social ills it encounters very matter-of-factly. It's hardest on the individual characters and the choices that they make. For instance, "American Honey" is bookened by two encounters that Star has with broken families, which highlight her best and worst impulses. And it leaves her with a long ways left to go on her journey.
But I leave you to discover that for yourselves.
---
"American Honey" is the first film from Andrea Arnold set outside the UK, and it retains all the raw style and lyrical realism of her prior films. You won't find many beauty shots of the landscape, but there are plenty of intimate moments in overcrowded vans, evocative glimpses of life on the road, and a transcendant sing-along or two. The cast is a strong mix of professional actors and non-professionals. Arnold reportedly cast newcomer Sasha Lane after running across her on a vacation, and other members of the magazine crew were found in parking lots and construction sites. Together, they form an eclectic, lively band of outcasts and misfits, always causing some kind of commotion, always living on the brink. They spontaneously start dancing in the K-mart where Star first sees them, and the ending revolves around a celebratory bonfire that the kids take turns dancing and leaping over. It's easy to see what draws Star into their circle.
And through Star's journey with the crew, Arnold explores the American landscape like so many of the great foreign filmmkers before her. Despite our heroine revealing very little about her background, we learn plenty about Star as she grapples with new circumstances and new choices. She resists lying to people or tricking them into sales. She's very good at getting herself out of bad situations, and proves scrappy enough to survive on her own. However, she isn't quite worldly enough to understand that having a connection with Jake doesn't mean she's not also one of his marks. Sasha Lane wordlessly conveys so much, giving Star a lot of charisma and raw intelligence. She's also, notably, one of the only cast members of color in a sea of white faces. This is also my favorite performance from Shia LaBeouf, whose recent bounts of oddity mesh perfectly with the tone of "American Honey," where to be odd and out of place may be synonymous with being free.
Really, though, it's America that is the star of the film, specifically all the depressed, abjectly poor, yet hopeful parts of it that rarely find their way to the big screen. Though nature occasionally makes itself known, the film spends the bulk of its time in motels, parking lots, and run-down apartments. I'm tempted to liken Arnold's work here to Harmony Korine's earlier grotesqueries, but Arnold's work is more celebratory, more sympathetic and humane. She lets Star call out the hypocrisy of a wealthy suburbanite, enjoy the comaraderie of her fellow fringe-dwellers, and have her moments of triumph and joy. Star has real agency over her life, which is vital. And while some have complained of the film's two-and-a-half hour length, I enjoyed all of Star's various misadventures, and the chance to really become immersed in her world. If the film is overlong, at least it's ambitious and entertaining all the way through.
There's a strong temptation to want to read political messages into the film, which is essentially about a group of forgotten, con-artist kids with no safety net and no prospects trying to find their way in crumbling middle America. However, the film is more interested in conveying an experience than a message, and tends to treat the social ills it encounters very matter-of-factly. It's hardest on the individual characters and the choices that they make. For instance, "American Honey" is bookened by two encounters that Star has with broken families, which highlight her best and worst impulses. And it leaves her with a long ways left to go on her journey.
But I leave you to discover that for yourselves.
---
Saturday, March 18, 2017
2017 Films I'm Anticipating, Part II
This is a continuation of my list of the 2017 films I'm anticipating most. This post is for the smaller films, many of which don't have distribution yet, release dates, or even titles. There's a good chance that a few won't be released in 2017 at all. However, I remain an optimist, and I'm spotlighting all of them regardless. Films are listed alphabetically below.
"Annihilation" - This is Alex Garland's follow-up to "Ex Machina," which imagines an all-female team of scientists making an expedition into a mysterious environmental disaster zone. I'm trying to avoid as much information as I can about the particulars of the plot, but the similarities to Tarkovsky's "Stalker" stand out to me. Natalie Portman will be playing the lead, and Garland is both writing and directing. The first images from the film have been floating around online since last years, and they look fantastic.
"Dark River" - It's been difficult to find much information about the next movie from Clio Barnard, a UK drama starring Ruth Wilson and Mark Stanley. However, it's been three years since "The Selfish Giant," and I'm itching to see more work from this director. Even without Barnard at the helm, though, I'd watch Ruth Wilson in just about anything. From the synopsis, "Dark River" is firmly in the category of films about small town mysteries, family estrangements, and uncovering murky secrets from the past.
"Free Fire" - Now this is my idea of an action comedy. Ben Wheatley has gathered a tremendous cast, including Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, and Cillian Murphy, to play a bunch of despicable characters, who spend the entire movie running around a warehouse trying to kill each other. Now, I've never seen Ben Wheatley do a full blown comedy before, but the trailer this gives me great confidence that he can pull it off. Unlike most of the other entries on the list, we'll be seeing this one in theaters very soon.
"Mute" - It's always nice when a talented director gets to tackle one of their dream projects. Duncan Jones, coming off of "Warcraft," is making his long-gestating science-fiction mystery film "Mute" for Netflix. Jones has described it as a spiritual sequel to his 2009 film, "Moon," which is very exciting. I'm always looking out for more of these small scale, twisty science fiction films. Netflix will also be distributing genre films "Bright," "Death Note," and "Okja" next year. I'm interested in all of them to varying degrees.
"The Death of Stalin" - After leaving "Veep," Armando Iannucci has returned to the movies. Based on the acclaimed French graphic novel by Fabien Nury, Iannucci's next political satire will look at the death of Joseph Stalin, and the Soviet bureaucrats who jockeyed for power in the aftermath. The cast in great, and includes Jeffrey Tambor, Steve Buscemi, Timothy Dalton, and Olga Kurylenko. This will also be the first film that Iannucci has directed himself since the excellent "In the Loop," way back in 2009.
"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" - Martin McDonagh has had an interesting career, and I often forget that he's only made two films so far. His latest will star Frances McDormand as a mother who goes to war against her local police force after the death of her daughter. McDonagh's specialty is pitch black comedies, and I'm expecting that this will be one too. I'm interested to see how he'll handle a story set in the Midwest, however, as his work set in the U.S. has been uneven so far.
"Mother!" - For a long time, the details of Darren Aronofsky newest film have been sparse. We know that it stars Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Barden as a couple who have to deal with unwanted guests. We know that Domhnall Gleeson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ed Harris, and Brian Gleeson ae also in the mix. There have been hints that it's actually a home-invasion thriller. It's not a lot to go on, but the bottom line is that it's a new Darren Aronofsky film, all the right people are involved, and I'm seeing it no matter what.
Untitled Alfonso Cuaron Film - I vacillated between this one and the Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson film with Daniel Day Lewis. Frankly, Cuaron wins out because I just like his work more. And after "Gravity" took up such a huge amount of his time, Cuaron films have been rarer birds. The existence of this project wasn't even confirmed until last November, when reports surfaced that members of the crew were robbed during filming in Mexico City. All we know is that it's a Mexican domestic drama, set in the 1970s.
Untitled Kathryn Bigelow Film - After being courted by every big action franchise in town, and flirting with a Bowe Bergdahl biopic, Kathryn Bigelow finally has her follow-up to "Zero Dark Thirty" in the works. Based on the 1967 Detroit riots, with an intriguing cast lead by John Boyega, this will be the third collaboration between Bigelow and writer Mark Boal. The pic is timely, ambitious, and sure to be another controversial awards contender. In short, it's everything I've come to expect from a Bigelow film in recent years.
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"Annihilation" - This is Alex Garland's follow-up to "Ex Machina," which imagines an all-female team of scientists making an expedition into a mysterious environmental disaster zone. I'm trying to avoid as much information as I can about the particulars of the plot, but the similarities to Tarkovsky's "Stalker" stand out to me. Natalie Portman will be playing the lead, and Garland is both writing and directing. The first images from the film have been floating around online since last years, and they look fantastic.
"Dark River" - It's been difficult to find much information about the next movie from Clio Barnard, a UK drama starring Ruth Wilson and Mark Stanley. However, it's been three years since "The Selfish Giant," and I'm itching to see more work from this director. Even without Barnard at the helm, though, I'd watch Ruth Wilson in just about anything. From the synopsis, "Dark River" is firmly in the category of films about small town mysteries, family estrangements, and uncovering murky secrets from the past.
"Free Fire" - Now this is my idea of an action comedy. Ben Wheatley has gathered a tremendous cast, including Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, and Cillian Murphy, to play a bunch of despicable characters, who spend the entire movie running around a warehouse trying to kill each other. Now, I've never seen Ben Wheatley do a full blown comedy before, but the trailer this gives me great confidence that he can pull it off. Unlike most of the other entries on the list, we'll be seeing this one in theaters very soon.
"Mute" - It's always nice when a talented director gets to tackle one of their dream projects. Duncan Jones, coming off of "Warcraft," is making his long-gestating science-fiction mystery film "Mute" for Netflix. Jones has described it as a spiritual sequel to his 2009 film, "Moon," which is very exciting. I'm always looking out for more of these small scale, twisty science fiction films. Netflix will also be distributing genre films "Bright," "Death Note," and "Okja" next year. I'm interested in all of them to varying degrees.
"The Death of Stalin" - After leaving "Veep," Armando Iannucci has returned to the movies. Based on the acclaimed French graphic novel by Fabien Nury, Iannucci's next political satire will look at the death of Joseph Stalin, and the Soviet bureaucrats who jockeyed for power in the aftermath. The cast in great, and includes Jeffrey Tambor, Steve Buscemi, Timothy Dalton, and Olga Kurylenko. This will also be the first film that Iannucci has directed himself since the excellent "In the Loop," way back in 2009.
"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" - Martin McDonagh has had an interesting career, and I often forget that he's only made two films so far. His latest will star Frances McDormand as a mother who goes to war against her local police force after the death of her daughter. McDonagh's specialty is pitch black comedies, and I'm expecting that this will be one too. I'm interested to see how he'll handle a story set in the Midwest, however, as his work set in the U.S. has been uneven so far.
"Mother!" - For a long time, the details of Darren Aronofsky newest film have been sparse. We know that it stars Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Barden as a couple who have to deal with unwanted guests. We know that Domhnall Gleeson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ed Harris, and Brian Gleeson ae also in the mix. There have been hints that it's actually a home-invasion thriller. It's not a lot to go on, but the bottom line is that it's a new Darren Aronofsky film, all the right people are involved, and I'm seeing it no matter what.
Untitled Alfonso Cuaron Film - I vacillated between this one and the Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson film with Daniel Day Lewis. Frankly, Cuaron wins out because I just like his work more. And after "Gravity" took up such a huge amount of his time, Cuaron films have been rarer birds. The existence of this project wasn't even confirmed until last November, when reports surfaced that members of the crew were robbed during filming in Mexico City. All we know is that it's a Mexican domestic drama, set in the 1970s.
Untitled Kathryn Bigelow Film - After being courted by every big action franchise in town, and flirting with a Bowe Bergdahl biopic, Kathryn Bigelow finally has her follow-up to "Zero Dark Thirty" in the works. Based on the 1967 Detroit riots, with an intriguing cast lead by John Boyega, this will be the third collaboration between Bigelow and writer Mark Boal. The pic is timely, ambitious, and sure to be another controversial awards contender. In short, it's everything I've come to expect from a Bigelow film in recent years.
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Thursday, March 16, 2017
2017 Films I'm Anticipating, Part I
It's that time again! I write these posts every year a little bit later than everyone else, in order to get a better sense of what the year's film landscape is going to look like. There are never guarantees about what's going to make it to screens by the end of the year and what isn't. And as usual, most of my picks are concentrated toward the later part of the year, where the release schedule is very much a work in progress.
As always, I will split this feature up into two posts, one for the mainstream, would-be blockbusters released by big studios, that everybody hears about, and one for the art house fare that may break through to the mainstream eventually, but only the cinephiles anticipate this far in advance. Big releases go first. Films are ordered below by release date. There are also a couple of titles that were delayed from 2016, like James Ponsoldt's "The Circle," which I'll leave off the new lists.
"Ghost in the Shell" - I have a heap of concerns about what director Rupert Sanders is planning here, but it's very exciting to see a franchise that I've been a fan of for years get a big budget adaptation. From what we've seen in the promotional materials so far, several iconic scenes from the anime will be recreated in live action. And considering how many times I've watched that leaked clip of the film's opening, set to a new version of Kenji Kawai's "Birth of a Cyborg," those recreations alone may be worth the price of admission.
"War for the Planet of the Apes" - The unlikely success of the revitalized "Apes" series has me excited to see Caesar and the apes in full blown warfare against the human race at last. Matt Reeves is returning, along with writer Matt Bomback, but we'll be getting a new human villain played by Woody Harrelson. I suspect that this won't be the last of this series of "Apes" films if it performs well, and there is so much that could still be done with the concept that I wouldn't mind them going on for as long as the creators want.
"Dunkirk" - Any new Christopher Nolan movie is cause for excitement, especially one starring Kenneth Branagh and Tom Hardy, among others. As much as I like Nolan's genre films, it's good to see him striking out in a different direction and trying something new. It's also good to see Warner Bros. throwing their full support behind the project. I can't think of another epic war film with such a prominent summer release since Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" twenty years ago. I'm crossing my fingers that this pays off big.
"Blade Runner 2049" - Denis Villeneauve's "Arrival" was on this list last year, when it was still called "The Story of Your Life." At the time I wasn't entirely sold on the notion of returning to the "Blade Runner" universe, but now it's shaping up to be one of the promising science-fiction films of the year. Ryan Gosling is set to star, with Harrison Ford returning, and Ridley Scott thankfully only onboard in a producer role. Plot details remain scarce, but this is clearly the biggest project that Villeneauve has been involved in yet.
"Thor: Ragnarok" - The "Thor" movies have been among the weakest installments of the MCU films to date. However, "Ragnarok" looks like it may be the best of them by far, because it's hired New Zealand funnyman Taika Waititi to direct. Also, the film has been described as a comedic road movie, where Thor and the Hulk team up for an adventure together. The promise of more laughs and some great new additions to the cast (Cate Blanchette! Jeff Goldblum! Tessa Thompson!) make this my most anticipated superhero flick of the year.
"Murder on the Orient Express" - I confess that I never much liked the 1974 screen version of "Murder on the Orient Express," largely because I found Albert Finney's Hercule Poirot over the top and unintelligible. However, I've always like the Agatha Christie story, so I'm eager to see a new adaptation, especially one being helmed by Kenneth Branagh. An all star cast will play the suspects, and Branagh will be playing Inspector Poirot. And if this goes well, maybe we'll have a new Poirot-centric film franchise on our hands.
"Star Wars: Episode VIII" - Rian Johnson has come very, very close in the past to making a great film. I'm really hoping that he pulls it off this time. As with the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy, this is the film that's really going to establish whether the sequel trilogy lives up to the original films. I think all the pieces for a great piece of pop-culture are in place, but we'll see if the filmmakers manage to pull it off. I'm currently wrestling with some theories about where the story is going, which I'll write up a post about later this month.
"Downsizing" - Now, Alexander Payne movies would usually go on the smaller film list. However, his latest stars Matt Damon, and has already landed a December slot with distribution by Paramount Pictures. Though it's clearly being positioned to be an awards contender, "Downsizing" might also gain some wider attention because it's a genre picture. It imagines a world where the hero decides to uncomplicated his life by literally shrinking himself.
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As always, I will split this feature up into two posts, one for the mainstream, would-be blockbusters released by big studios, that everybody hears about, and one for the art house fare that may break through to the mainstream eventually, but only the cinephiles anticipate this far in advance. Big releases go first. Films are ordered below by release date. There are also a couple of titles that were delayed from 2016, like James Ponsoldt's "The Circle," which I'll leave off the new lists.
"Ghost in the Shell" - I have a heap of concerns about what director Rupert Sanders is planning here, but it's very exciting to see a franchise that I've been a fan of for years get a big budget adaptation. From what we've seen in the promotional materials so far, several iconic scenes from the anime will be recreated in live action. And considering how many times I've watched that leaked clip of the film's opening, set to a new version of Kenji Kawai's "Birth of a Cyborg," those recreations alone may be worth the price of admission.
"War for the Planet of the Apes" - The unlikely success of the revitalized "Apes" series has me excited to see Caesar and the apes in full blown warfare against the human race at last. Matt Reeves is returning, along with writer Matt Bomback, but we'll be getting a new human villain played by Woody Harrelson. I suspect that this won't be the last of this series of "Apes" films if it performs well, and there is so much that could still be done with the concept that I wouldn't mind them going on for as long as the creators want.
"Dunkirk" - Any new Christopher Nolan movie is cause for excitement, especially one starring Kenneth Branagh and Tom Hardy, among others. As much as I like Nolan's genre films, it's good to see him striking out in a different direction and trying something new. It's also good to see Warner Bros. throwing their full support behind the project. I can't think of another epic war film with such a prominent summer release since Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" twenty years ago. I'm crossing my fingers that this pays off big.
"Blade Runner 2049" - Denis Villeneauve's "Arrival" was on this list last year, when it was still called "The Story of Your Life." At the time I wasn't entirely sold on the notion of returning to the "Blade Runner" universe, but now it's shaping up to be one of the promising science-fiction films of the year. Ryan Gosling is set to star, with Harrison Ford returning, and Ridley Scott thankfully only onboard in a producer role. Plot details remain scarce, but this is clearly the biggest project that Villeneauve has been involved in yet.
"Thor: Ragnarok" - The "Thor" movies have been among the weakest installments of the MCU films to date. However, "Ragnarok" looks like it may be the best of them by far, because it's hired New Zealand funnyman Taika Waititi to direct. Also, the film has been described as a comedic road movie, where Thor and the Hulk team up for an adventure together. The promise of more laughs and some great new additions to the cast (Cate Blanchette! Jeff Goldblum! Tessa Thompson!) make this my most anticipated superhero flick of the year.
"Murder on the Orient Express" - I confess that I never much liked the 1974 screen version of "Murder on the Orient Express," largely because I found Albert Finney's Hercule Poirot over the top and unintelligible. However, I've always like the Agatha Christie story, so I'm eager to see a new adaptation, especially one being helmed by Kenneth Branagh. An all star cast will play the suspects, and Branagh will be playing Inspector Poirot. And if this goes well, maybe we'll have a new Poirot-centric film franchise on our hands.
"Star Wars: Episode VIII" - Rian Johnson has come very, very close in the past to making a great film. I'm really hoping that he pulls it off this time. As with the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy, this is the film that's really going to establish whether the sequel trilogy lives up to the original films. I think all the pieces for a great piece of pop-culture are in place, but we'll see if the filmmakers manage to pull it off. I'm currently wrestling with some theories about where the story is going, which I'll write up a post about later this month.
"Downsizing" - Now, Alexander Payne movies would usually go on the smaller film list. However, his latest stars Matt Damon, and has already landed a December slot with distribution by Paramount Pictures. Though it's clearly being positioned to be an awards contender, "Downsizing" might also gain some wider attention because it's a genre picture. It imagines a world where the hero decides to uncomplicated his life by literally shrinking himself.
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